President's Note

I am pleased to announce that we have selected a national executive search firm to help fill our chief investment officer position. This is an important hire for us as we want to make sure we find the very best person to oversee and manage our University's billion-dollar endowment.

We have hired Heidrick & Struggles, an international executive search firm with more than 50 years experience and offices in more than 60 cities around the globe. Of 30 search firms measured by the Wall Street Journal, Heidrick & Struggles was ranked highest for the quality of candidates they presented. We selected Heidrick & Struggles after completing an RFP process and interviewing a number of firms.

While growing our endowment is important all the time, the current economic climate is presenting particular challenges that will be with us into the foreseeable future. Being wise stewards of our University's investments is the focus of both our Board of Regents and administration. The Baylor CIO search committee includes Regents Wes Bailey, Harold Cunningham and Dary Stone, along with Vice President for Finance Reagan Ramsower, Vice President for Development Dennis Prescott, and Dean of the Business School Terry Maness. Also participating are Dick Anderson from the investment fund consulting firm Hammond Associates, and Bud McGregor, Baylor's associate vice president for budget.

Even as we undergo this search, we are immensely fortunate to already have in place an extremely talented university investment office. My thanks to Charlie Wall, Director of Investments, and Investment Officer Scott Pittman, who are skillfully managing Baylor's investment portfolio during these trying economic times.

Understanding the Financial & Mortgage Crisis: Panel Discussion

With the eyes of the nation focused on our economy, I thought you might be interested in a panel discussion with faculty members from the Hankamer School of Business.

"Understanding the Financial & Mortgage Crisis" will be held 3:30-5 p.m. Thursday in Kayser Auditorium. Panelists include:

• Gia Chevis, Assistant Professor of Accounting
  
  
• James Garven, Professor of Finance and Insurance and holder of the Frank S. Groner Memorial Chair in Finance
  
  
• Kent Gilbreath, Professor of Economics and the holder of the E.M. and Thelma Stevens Chair of Private Enterprise and Entrepreneurship
  
  
• William Reichenstein, Professor of Finance and holder of the Pat and Thomas R. Powers Chair of Investment Management
  
  
• David VanHoose, Professor of Economics and holder of the Herman W. Lay Chair of Private Enterprise

Missions Week Oct 13-16

As we begin our celebration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Baptist life, it is important to remind ourselves of the significant aspects of what it means to be Baptist. One of the most important is living out our lives in fulfillment of the Great Commission, to take the Gospel of Jesus to the world.

Next week is Missions Week at Baylor and you are invited to participate in many of the activities. The highlight is an address by Rob Nash, who will be speaking about the 400-year history of Baptist life and the role of missions in the 21st century. Dr. Nash is the Global Mission Coordinator for the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and will be speaking at the faculty luncheon on Tuesday at the Bobo Baptist Student Center. He also will be speaking at Chapel services on Monday. If you would like to know more about these opportunities, please contact Kimberly_A_Sanders@baylor.edu.

White House Appointment

Dr. Byron Johnson, Co-Director of Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion has been named by President George W. Bush to a three-year appointment on the Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. This council oversees all federal juvenile delinquency prevention programs, federal activities that detain or care for unaccompanied minors and all federal programs relating to missing and exploited children. Dr. Johnson brings a unique perspective to this appointment as a researcher of pro-social behavior å– identifying and studying the factors associated with positive or conventional behavior. Please join me in congratulating Dr. Johnson on this honor.

Nominations Sought for Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award

The call for nominations has gone out for the sixth annual Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year Award, which is given to a Baylor faculty member who makes a superlative contribution to the learning environment at Baylor, including teaching which is judged to be of the highest order of intellectual acumen and pedagogical effectiveness, research which is recognized as outstanding by the national and local community of scholars, and service which is regarded as exemplary in building the character of intellectual community at Baylor. Nominations are requested from all faculty, students, and alumni nominating their former teachers. Nominees from previous years are welcome. Nominations must be submitted to the candidate's dean by 5 p.m. Monday, November 3, and must include:

• A letter of nomination from the nominator, telling why the candidate deserves the award
  
• A letter from the candidate agreeing to be considered for the award
  
• A curriculum vitae from the candidate

United Way Campaign

I do want to remind you that once again Baylor is participating in the United Way Campaign that begins this month. If you are interested, this is one way you can support local social service agencies meeting the needs of Wacoans. You can sign up to give through the Baylor United Way page.

List of local agencies